*****If only Hunter himself were in his right senses at this moment, he would have found it unbelievable.Tears? Him?Over the past week, he had suffered humiliation beyond words, betrayal, starvation, exhaustion, and despair.He had wandered through dark alleys like a fugitive rat, barely sleeping, constantly afraid someone would discover him.Yet not once had he cried.He had been furious, broken, and hopeless, but never tearful.And yet now…After hearing Xavier’s casual words, his vision blurred violently, his chest tightening painfully.“Sir Patriarch…” he muttered again, his voice trembling slightly, causing both Xavier and Mistress Ayra to pause in surprise.The two exchanged glances, and then Ayra’s eyes flickered faintly.After all, Hunter did not look like the crying type.The man looked more like the kind who would punch through walls and curse at heaven before shedding tears.And yet there he was, standing stiffly like a grown man desperately trying not to embarrass himse

*****Five pairs of eyes shifted toward Hunter in perfect unison, and in that instant…‘This…!’His heart lurched violently in his chest, and cold sweat broke out across his back so fast it felt as though someone had just poured ice water down his spine.Fortunately, the attention lasted only a second before drifting away again.But that single second was enough.Enough for him to feel like a stray insect suddenly pinned beneath the collective gaze of beings far beyond his comprehension… creatures who could end him without even bothering to move a finger.At this realization, his breathing turned shallow and his thoughts scattered.It was terrifying in a way that didn’t even feel real.Like standing at the edge of a cliff and realizing the cliff was looking back at you.“Taken care of them yet?” Mistress Ayra asked calmly, her tone light and indifferent, as though she were inquiring whether someone had finished sweeping the floor or wiping a table.The casualness of it nearly made Hun

*****Once the three figures and Hunter were gone, both Xavier and Mistress Ayra remained unmoving.They stared at the empty space for a brief moment, their expressions completely unreadable.Then, ultimately, after a few seconds, Mistress Ayra let out a soft sigh.“He looks like someone who has been through a lot,” she said quietly, her tone unusually subdued.There was a faint heaviness in her voice now, like she had briefly stepped out of her usual composed mask.She turned toward Xavier, as if preparing to continue. But then Xavier spoke first.“I thought I warned you the last time I was here,” he said, his voice calm but carrying a sharp edge underneath it.His gaze shifted slightly toward her.“Not to let anyone find out about me… or that there’s a new patriarch for now.”And at that exact instant, every trace of the lazy, half-asleep indifference Xavier always carried vanished so abruptly it was almost terrifying to witness.One moment, he had been sprawled across the throne li

*****“Where’s the list I asked you to compile the last time I came here?” Xavier asked, abruptly switching the topic once again as though the disappointment from moments ago had never even existed.It took Mistress Ayra a second to process the sudden turn. Then she rolled her eyes helplessly.‘Speaking with Sir Patriarch sometimes honestly felt like trying to hold smoke in bare hands,’ she couldn’t help but think helplessly. ‘One moment, the coldness pouring from him was enough to freeze a person to the soul, and the very next, he would casually change the topic as though nothing had happened at all.’Still, she quickly nodded respectfully, rose from her seat, and walked toward one side of the chamber.The moment she reached the wall, she pressed against a nearly invisible groove hidden within the stone, and instantly…Click.A concealed mechanism was directly activated. Then, with a low grinding sound, a small compartment carved itself open within the wall.Without hesitation, Mistr

*****“I established it with the sole purpose of giving back to the only city that accepted us after we were forced to flee from our original territory,” she said quietly. “And… with the intention of protecting helpless people from the oppression of bullies, corrupt politicians, crooked businessmen, and those self-righteous ranked families who think having power gives them the right to decide whether ordinary people deserve to breathe.”The more she spoke, the calmer her voice became.But beneath that calmness was an unmistakable bitterness that could only come from experience.It was clear her words weren’t spoken from mere observation. But instead, she had experienced that kind of treatment herself, and perhaps because of that, the smile she gave afterward felt even more genuine.It was pure and proud… the smile of someone who knew they had truly changed something.“Now,” she continued softly, “thanks to the fear of being exposed by Anonymous404, corruption in Riverton City has dras